The invention relates generally to a recharging system for devices such as a child's ride-on vehicle powered by a rechargeable battery, and more specifically to a recharger receptacle used in a battery recharge interconnection system which protects the battery and prevents operation of the battery-powered vehicle or other device while the battery is being recharged.
Battery powered vehicles such as children's ride-on cars or other toy vehicles usually receive power from one or more rechargeable batteries carried on the vehicle. In a typical electrical system used in some models of toy ridable vehicles, the vehicle battery is coupled to a connector plug which is mated with a cooperating connector on the wiring harness of the vehicle. Power to operate the vehicle is supplied through the wiring harness connector. To recharge the battery, the two halves of the connector are separated and the part connected to the battery is inserted into a cooperating connector on an external recharger, which supplies recharging current to the battery. When a recharging cycle is completed, the cooperating connector on the charger is separated from the battery connector plug and reconnected to the cooperating plug on the wiring harness. Since the wiring harness must be disconnected before the battery can be recharged, this prior art system has the advantage of eliminating the possibility of operating the vehicle during a recharging cycle. That is an important safety feature because it avoids the possibility of a child climbing on and operating the vehicle while it is recharging, which might entangle the child in external wires or damage the charger, the battery, or the vehicle.
The problem with the prior art charging system described above is that it requires the separation and reconnection of the two halves of the battery connector a minimum of three times for a single charging cycle. It would be far more convenient to provide a plug-type receptacle on the vehicle which is permanently connected to the battery terminals and into which a battery recharger could be plugged to recharge the battery. The risk with such a system is that a child may attempt to operate the vehicle while it is recharging.
Rechargeable batteries are recharged by feeding a charging current through the battery terminals. Excessive charging current can overheat and damage the battery and may present a leakage or rupture hazard. It can also damage the external recharger, its cord and the internal vehicle wiring. Excessive charging current can result from numerous causes, including shorts in the recharger cord, or shorts caused by foreign objects such as pins or paper clips which can lodge across the battery or charger terminals. On rechargeable toys such as children's ridable vehicles, it is particularly important that hazards resulting from excessive recharging current be eliminated. It would therefore be advantageous if some type of protective system is provided for limiting the recharger current supplied to the rechargeable battery on a toy ridable vehicle.
It would be advantageous to have a battery recharge interconnection system for use in toy riding vehicles, or in other battery-operated load devices powered by rechargeable batteries, which incorporates a receptacle assembly that is capable of disabling the vehicle or can otherwise protect against improper use of the battery-operated device during a recharging cycle.
It would be a further advantage If such a battery recharge interconnection system included a cut-out switch operatively connected to the electrical circuitry of the load device for interrupting the supply of power from the battery to the device whenever the battery is recharged.
It would be also be advantageous to have a battery recharge interconnection system which both disables the operation of the battery-operated device during recharging and which helps prevent dust, dirt and other foreign matter from entering the recharge receptacle.
Finally, it would be advantageous to have a battery recharge interconnection system which protects against excessive current to the battery by means of a current-limiting fuse that is simple and inexpensive to replace.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a battery recharge interconnection system for an electric vehicle, or for use in the electrical circuitry of another type of load device powered by a rechargeable battery. The interconnection system for an electric vehicle comprises a cut-out switch operatively connected to the vehicle wiring for rendering the vehicle inoperable when the cut-out switch is engaged and for permitting operation of the vehicle when the cut-out switch is disengaged. A charger receptacle is provided which is operatively connected to the rechargeable battery of the vehicle for mating with an external recharger to recharge the battery. Finally, an interlock is provided between the charger receptacle and the cut-out switch, in the form of an obstruction for the charger receptacle. The interlock operates to reposition the cut-out switch whenever the obstruction is moved, either to block or unblock the charger receptacle. Specifically, the obstruction is movable between a first position, in which the cut-out switch is disengaged and the obstruction prevents an external charger from mating with the receptacle, and a second position in which the cut-out switch is engaged and the obstruction is removed from blocking the charger receptacle. When the obstruction is in its second position, an external charger can be mated with the charger receptacle. Thus, whenever the battery is recharged the cut-out switch renders the vehicle inoperable.
In the embodiment of the invention used in the electrical circuitry of a load device powered by a rechargeable battery, the interconnection system comprises a cut-out switch operatively connected to the electrical circuitry for interrupting the power to the load device from the rechargeable battery. The system provides an obstruction for selectively blocking the charger receptacle. The obstruction is operatively connected to a cut-out switch for the device and is mounted for movement relative to the charger receptacle between first and second positions. In the first position, the cover prevents an external charger from mating with the receptacle and also disengages the cut-out switch. In the second position, the cover is removed from the charger receptacle, allowing an external charger to be mated with the receptacle, and it engages the cut-out switch. Whenever the cover is in its second position, the load device is inoperable and the battery can be recharged.
At the heart of the battery recharge interconnection system is a receptacle and actuator assembly for permitting electrical interconnections to be selectively made when the actuator portion of the assembly is moved to a predetermined position. The receptacle and actuator assembly comprises an electrical receptacle having an opening into which a plug is insertable to complete one or more electrical interconnections. When used with a battery recharge interconnection system, the charger receptacle is operatively connected to the electrical circuitry which supplies recharging current to a battery. A rotatable obstruction is pivotally mounted adjacent the receptacle for movement between a first position, in which the obstruction blocks the opening of the receptacle to prevent insertion of a plug into the receptacle, and a second position, in which the obstruction is rotated out of its blocking position. When the rotatable obstruction is in its second position, it permits insertion of a plug into the receptacle. An actuator is operatively coupled to the rotatable obstruction for operating a device separate from the electrical receptacle. The actuator is movable between first and second states in response to rotational movement of the obstruction between its respective first and second positions. A plug is insertable in the receptacle only when the actuator is moved to its second state. In the battery recharge interconnection system of the present invention, the actuator is operatively coupled to the cut-out switch and engages the cut-out switch when in its second state.
Finally, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, a current-limiting fuse is installed in the circuitry between the charger receptacle and the battery to prevent excessive charging current from damaging the battery, the external battery charger or the battery charger cord.